Taking the Limits Off God, Lesson 2: Expect the Favor of God

Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. Psalms 78:41 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho...” Joshua 2:1 A. Note v. 1: “to spy out secretly…” The fact that this was a classified mission reveals that Joshua intended to take Jericho by force and was unaware of the miracle that God planned for the armies of Israel. You can get so used to depending on yourself that you don’t expect God’s help and miraculous power. #1. EXPECT MIRACLES EVERY DAY! God Is At Work, Even When You Can’t Perceive It! Never Forget That God Is Your Source. Its’ important to always talk about God’s Goodness! To Always Testify about the goodness, and glory and greatness of our God! Sit around your dinner table and tell your kids and grandchildren about the day God saved you. About the time Jesus baptized you in the Holy Spirit. How God has met your needs. How God has healed you. How God has come through for you time and time again. Always remember, God is Good and the Devil is bad! God-Good; Devil-Bad… This will help you to make sense of the world and things going on… A. Our God is a wonderful God, a great God, and a good God! Jesus is a wonderful Jesus. A great Jesus! And a good Jesus! The Holy Spirit is a wonderful Holy Spirit. He is a great Holy Spirit! He is a good Holy Spirit! B. Some people talk about the devil as if He is a great devil. Some people think that God and the devil are in a boxing ring, fighting it out. C.How many remember the movie “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!” Some people have shrunk God and blown up the devil. But you need to shrink the devil and place the focus on the King of Glory – our Lord Jesus Christ! D. God and the devil aren’t even in the same category! Not even in the same Universe! The devil is a created being and the Lord our God is the Creator! God said: “Let there be light!” And He has never rescinded that command. So light just continues to shine and shine from solar system to solar system throughout the universe! E. The devil has a beginning and an ending! God has not beginning nor ending. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. God has always existed and will always exist! F. On the Cross of Calvary, Jesus “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:15 G. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Romans 16:20 H. The only power the devil has over you - is the power you give him. Oh yes, he may attack you. But you have authority over him, if you will use it. I. “nor give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:27 The devil will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone… and will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10 I expect a miracle every day of my life! Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. Joshua 2:1 A. For many years I read this verse and wondered, “Why did God have the spies to stay at the home of a prostitute?” They certainly didn’t go there to commit sin with her. B. But if you think about it, The house of Rahab was a perfect place for the spies to stay because of the constant flow of traffic – it was common for strange men to come and go all hours of the day and night. C. God led the two spies to the one person in Jericho who believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! D. “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.” Hebrews 11:31 E. Did you know that King David was a descendant of Rahab the harlot? Rahab married King David’s great, great grandfather, a man named Salmon. They had a little boy named Boaz, and Boaz married Ruth and they had a son named Obed. And Obed had a little boy named Jesse and Jesse was the father of David who slew a giant and became a king. F. By adoption, Jesus our Lord, was a descendant of Rahab. 28-generations after King David was born, we read: 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. Matthew 1:16 G. Don’t ever condemn yourself because of your past. Don’t ever tell yourself, “Well God can’t use me, because look at all the sin I have been in.” “God can’t use me because my father was a bootlegger and my mother was a harlot.” God can’t use me because my father was in the Mafia and I don’t know who my mother is. God can’t use me because I used to hold up 7/11’s and deal drugs, why I even killed a person. Moses too killed a man. Saul of Tarsus consented to the death of Stephen, a deacon in the early church. H. God can save from the uttermost to the guttermost! The blood of Jesus knows no boundaries! It reaches to the highest mountains and flows to the lowest valleys. The blood that gives us stren